that he himself often experienced worship services more as a "community experience" than as a "spiritual one." He notes that Kehilat Hadar began in New York as a result of a number of young Jews who were "looking for new ways to connect to the substance of their religion and tradition"—but instead of becoming "just a local minyan," "it became a model of grassroots religious community that spread dramatically across the United States and Israel. That model of community came to be known as an "independent minyan." Kaunfer emphasizes that the word "independent" means that many of these groups developed independently in terms of volunteers coming together to create and lead it, but—in agreement with Wertheimer's assessment of these minyanim—they are not nor do they seek to be independent of the larger Jewish community in terms of their vision or self-identity. "Quite the contrary," he says, "they see themselves filling a need not being met by existing institutions, but operating within the larger Jewish map, not outside or against it." Leadership and guidance Ongoing leadership for the DC Minyan is provided by the members of the Steering Committee and the Leadership Council, with frequent input from all participants, and proactive efforts to receive input and ideas from the outside community. So, for example, the DC Minyan website describes "The DC Minyan Dialogue" as "an effort initiated by DC Minyan's leadership to take the pulse of the community by soliciting ideas and feedback on DC Minyan's programming, leadership structure, and decision-making processes." Additionally, a "kashrut task force" was convened to "study Jewish source texts on kashrut, research the policies of other communities, consider relevant teshuvot (halakhic responsa) relating to communal kashrut standards, and solicit feedback from community members about the current policy." The Leadership Council includes special volunteers for administration, the Beit Midrash, Chinuch (education), community relations, finance, gabbai, hospitality, parents and kids, social action, and special events. In addition, there are special voluntary positions that include representatives or coordinators for the "Dvar Tefillah and Torah" (words of prayer and Torah), the Friday Night Oneg (reception/collation), "greening"/ecological issues, happy hours, Shabbat morning "kiddush" (reception/collation), life cycle events, technical/website support, and a liaison for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning) issues. Although there is no rabbi officially affiliated with the congregation, the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section of the congregational website notes that one rabbi who is consulted on a regular